No, not another 'what secondhand truck should I buy' thread - although those are very informative. I know what I want / don't want, but I need some local knowledge on specific models. And maybe some expert tips.
So anyway, with all the help from reading this forum, the internet in general and from test driving, I've decided to buy the Great Wall 'Steed'.
Nah, not really.
Tossing up between the previous generation Toyota and the current generation Isuzu actually, but that's a discussion for another thread.
First some general questions. And reading them back they sound a bit paranoid, given that honesty, integrity and trustworthiness are Thai traits we all know and admire. But go ahead, tear my post to shreds, I like that.
(1) Is the winding back of clocks (odometers) endemic amongst Thai secondhand dealers? I simply cannot believe the low mileage of almost every truck I'm looking at (online). So many 2 to 4 year old trucks that have done under 40k, what are the odds?
Australian consumer sites warn it is fairly easy to download software to wind back digital odometers. And these digital odometers were supposedly introduced to make it harder to wind 'em back. Fail on that one then. So I have probably answered my own question there.
(2) I notice a lot of pretty young females in the 'owner / seller' photo on Taladrod. (The site is mostly in Thai so I'm guessing at a lot of the content btw.) Is this the equivalent of being told the kitted-out-for-off-road 4WD you are inspecting "has mostly been used as a mum's taxi and for school runs"? One 'open doors' talorod shot of an otherwise spotlessly clean Vigo even had a pink school backpack prominently displayed on the rear seat, and a fake designer handbag on the floor behind the driver's seat. Am I being overly suspicious, is it a harmless attempt at diversion, or might it be something more sinister? A case of don't over think it, just appreciate the photo of the pretty young thing?
(3) And on the same theme, ads for trucks often have photos of them parked outside a private home, suggesting 'private sale'. But the photos sometimes have little indications they may actually be dealer sales. I think the practice of a dealer posing as private seller is called 'curbstoning' in the US, and done in an effort to offload dud cars / avoid the regulatory framework. Is this practice something to look out for in Thailand? Given that there is so little consumer protection in Thailand anyway, what would a dealer stand to gain by this? (Encouraging you to believe the low odometer reading is my initial thought.)
(4) And one specific question - The 'old shape' Hilux, the Vigo. The four door 'G' spec seems to come in 'high rider' and 'low rider' (tall and short?) versions in the same year. Is this correct? Is there something in the model name or such that tells them apart? The two on Taladrod I spotted that were different heights were both listed as '2014 3.0G Champ'. (I prefer the high rider btw - it makes my dick look bigger.)
Alright, thanks for any replies. We are looking to buy on our next visit early next year. Just doing the prelim tyre-kicking atm. I will prolly have a few questions thru the year, and I'll just keep coming back to this thread.
I am aware it is far more sensible to buy new btw, but you are welcome to point that out anyway. Brand new may not be the best option for us at this point though. Besides, in the early years after we retire / move to Thailand I'll sometimes actually be carrying stuff in the back - stuff that might scratch the paintwork!